Europe has villages strewn across the continent. Here are some addresses to escape the big cities and to discover the most beautiful villages in Europe. It’s a fact that authentic places usually take care of lifestyle and architecture.

Å, Lofoten Archipelago in Norway

This village is written “A” but it should be pronounced “O”. We could call Å the village at the end of the world. Indeed, one of the most beautiful place in Europe is at the end of the Lofoten Archipelago, and the road stops right next to the village.

Historically this village was a small fishing port around which developed over the years, small wooden dwellings. And for those who go to the end of Europe, the other villages of Reine, Hamnoy, Tind, Sorvagen or Sakrisoy. These villages that are one after the other and offer sensations quite grandiose. You can hang out on wooden pontoons, and watch the fishermen working. Then you maybe will go on the coastal paths to admire the Norwegian Sea. The ultimate crossing point of the swell of the North Atlantic.

The small villages of Ligure and the village of Vernazza

Clinging to its cliff, the village of Vernazza is one of the most beautiful communities in Italy. It is located in Liguria, a region of northwestern Italy in the Cinque Terre National Park. Of course, Vernazza, like all the other villages of Cinque Terre, is beset with tourists, especially in summer. But if you take the time to take the small hiking trails between the villages, you will be conquered. The most daring will wait for the end of the sunset to see unreal colors and reflections wrap the coast and cliffs of this small village of the Cinque Terre. Vernazza is definitely the most beautiful village in Italy.

Piran, the most beautiful village on the Slovenian coast

At the end of Slovenia, between the Julian Alps, the city of Trieste, and Croatia lies the small fortified village of Piran. A timeless place at the end of the country just 3 hours by bus from the capital Ljubljana. Piran is on a little rocky point facing the Adriatic. The most curious will continue their trip to the south with the city of Isola and Croatia nearby. It must be said that Slovenia has only about fifty kilometers. Those in a hurry will leave by bus to Italy and the city of Trieste. To reach by train the cities of Treviso and Venice. The more adventurous can start by train to the villages of the Julian Alps between Novaya Gorice and Lake Bled.

Estaing, one of the most beautiful villages in Europe

Located in the department of Aveyron, the village of Estaing is a wonderful village. It is at the foot of the great plateaus of Aubrac and in the heart of the Lot valley. What is so special about Estaing is undoubtedly architecture, stone houses, the Lot, which passes at the foot of the city. But it is also the presence of these high plateaus swept by the winds and borrowing of mystery. The Aubrac is an ideal place to take a breath of fresh air and reconnect with nature. After visiting Estaing, you can either go back to Mende and the Gorges du Tarn. Or go down the Lot valley towards Conques, Capdenac le Haut, or Saint-Cirq Lapopie. Moreover, these villages are part of the ranking of the most beautiful villages in France.

Skarhamn, the gateway to Bohuslan in Sweden

The southwestern coast of Sweden is with the North West, one of the most beautiful places in the country. Skarhamn is a village that initially occupied the bottom of a natural harbor. Then with time and the proximity of Gothenburg, the city has grown, and it has become a holiday resort. Even though Skarhamn is no longer quite the fishing village it used to be, it’s a great gateway to this beautiful Swedish region called Bohuslan.

Priego de Cordoba, a white village perched in Andalusia

Andalusia is undoubtedly the most representative region of Spanish culture. But it is also one of the sunniest places in Europe that is at the same time rocked by the softness of the Mediterranean and the freshness of the Atlantic Ocean. This region of southern Spain is a place so special where the sublime architecture of Seville, Cordoba, Granada, and Cadiz is no longer to be demonstrated. Priego de Cordoba is in the middle of the Andalusian lands, where the warmest temperatures in Europe are frequently recorded. This small town was settled at the top of a rocky python. This perched village was once considered as invincible. But it turns today as a great tourist site without tourists. It’s condensed from the Andalusian culture. A place where modernism can not get the better of locals’ schedules. Simply because it’s too hot, here, the nap and the children who play until midnight in the streets are entirely part of the scenery and the life of Priego.

Monemvasia the little Greek village

And to stick to the image of the small village lost in the mountains, there is the now-famous Monemvasia. Lost at the end of Greece in the mountains of Peloponnese, this village is a precious jewel to preserve. Monemvasia was in the ancient time the Gibraltar of the East of the Mediterranean sea. Both his strategic location gave him an advantage over any ship that was trying to pass that course.

Grindelwald, the village of the Bernese Alps

This Swiss village is located at an altitude of 1034 meters, at the foot of one of the most famous Bernese mountains: the Eiger. And it was from Grindelwald that mountaineers rushed to attack the mythical north face of the Eiger. But this village is also famous because it is a stone’s throw from the Jungfrau, the highest mountain of all Switzerland.

Zons, a small fully preserved German medieval village

This village in northwestern Germany lies on the left bank of the Rhine between the cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. Zons is a unique place because this village that dates back to the Middle Ages has been completely preserved. Zons is entirely protected by a wall surmounted by some impregnable towers. An intriguing village tour just a stone’s throw from the Rhine.

to be continued…

credits: Yann Ve